Chicken Enchiladas

We had guests for this Food Adventure meal -- picky eaters, no less!  One of them, Corrie, is a regular diner out our house, and we've learned she'll at least try a small portion.  The other, Lauren, is a former co-worker who, when I met her, claimed, "I eat, like, eleven things."  So, we set out on this adventure determined to show Lauren, who, like me, never liked to cook, just how fun and easy a super-awesome meal can be to make.  This meant the food had to be simple, not have too many ingredients, and not be too strange.  The decision was easy.  Everyone always likes them, and they're always surprised to learn how easy they are to make.  Chicken Enchiladas.

You will need the following:

2 very large chicken leg quarters (cooked in a slow cooker until done, deboned and shredded)
1 quart of salsa
vegetable oil
corn tortillas, white
8 oz. block muenster cheese, shredded
optional toppings:  jalapenos, avocados, salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, etc.

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Mix your shredded chicken and salsa together thoroughly and set to the side.

3.  In a small frying pan, warm about an inch of oil over low heat.  This oil should be warmed only, barely above being able to put your fingers in it.  Put your baking plate. or casserole dish if you prefer, out beside you on the counter.

4.  Place a corn tortilla in the warmed oil for a few seconds, just enough to get it a little soft and warm.  You do not want the tortilla to get crunchy in the oil, nor do you want it to get soggy.  If the oil starts to bubble, it's too hot.

5.  Take the corn tortilla out of the oil and place on your baking plate, put a spoonful of your chicken mixture in the middle, and roll up.  Be careful not to overload them.  You only want a spoonful so you can taste the flavor of the corn tortilla.  Repeat until all of your baking plates are filled to the desired number of enchiladas.

6.  Cover with shredded muenster cheese.  We sometimes add fresh jalapenos on top before baking for a little extra heat.

7.  Place in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

8.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving so you don't burn your mouth.  Serve with your choice of toppings.

Beverages:

The beauty of this dish is:  it goes well with beer!  The Abita Sweet Orange Lager we had washed down our food with just a hint of citrus.  Any number of beers would go well with this, or maybe even a margarita!

Commentary:

Be sure to save any broth from cooking your chicken.  It's great for any number of other recipes, from soups to rice to veggies.

A note about the chicken and salsa mixture:  The leg quarters we get are very large.  We buy them in bulk bags of about 10 pounds that cost somewhere between $5 and $6 a bag.  A typical bag will have between five and seven leg quarters in it.  Also, the quart of salsa is courtesy of my father-in-law, our preferred salsa.

If you have corn tortillas left over after making enchiladas, try slicing them into six pieces and frying them up in some hot oil.  When they reach your desired crunchiness, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and place in a colander lines with paper towels.  Add salt, if desired.  I like them best when the edges just start to turn brown, when they're just a little bit sweet.

Or, you can continue making enchiladas and make another tray to keep in the freezer.  You will want to bake them enough to melt the cheese and allow to cool before freezing.  Then, when you decide to reheat them, thaw them, and throw them back in the oven until thoroughly warmed.

Using muenster cheese instead of other cheeses is a cooking tip from Tony's grandmother.  It melts better than other cheeses, making it perfect for enchiladas.

Review:

The sure sign of a good time is the number of dishes you have to do in the morning!  This picture doesn't include the number of times we washed our beer glasses to return them to the freezer, or any of the dishes from cooking up the chicken.

This is a favorite of ours and a go-to meal when we want to impress someone with dinner.  It's easy to make, pretty cheap to make, and everyone always enjoys it. Since it seems silly to review our own food that we know we love, we decided to have our guests review this dinner.

Corrie:  We had super-phenomenal chicken enchiladas tonight.  They were really easy. Super good.

Lauren:  They were really good.  The most exciting thing is that they're really easy to make, so I can make them, because I'm incompetent.  (No you're not, you just haven't been shown.)  I'm going to make them tomorrow.  It's really good and I'm really picky.  It's really fun to eat.  And, I'm really full.

What a riot we had hanging around the kitchen listening to Tony teach Lauren the fine art of enchilada-making and feasting on the end results.  Good food, good times.

Cost:

Salsa - I don't really know what it will cost you in the store,  I haven't bought it in years.  If you know someone that makes fresh, see if you can snag a jar from them.  You'll appreciate the difference.
Chicken - bag of chicken is about $5 - $6 where we shop.  The prices are much lower than chain stores.
Corn tortillas - around $2 - $2.50 for 30 of them
Oil - $3.50 - $4
muenster cheese - between $2 and $3

Total cost, without any additional toppings, runs under $20 and makes multiple meals.  In addition, you'll have chicken broth and more leg quarters left over to use in other dishes, and maybe even oil, if you decide against frying chips.

~Sandy